IL · verified 2026-10-22
Chicago, IL
Short answerYes: the City of Chicago code allows backyard hens, but the cited section sets no number; the cited code does not mention roosters; the cited code does not mention a permit; and the setback is not verified yet.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Chicago corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Chicago corporate limits only. An HOA or neighborhood covenant can still ban hens. Those private rules are usually not public, so HenCheck does not look them up.
Primary source: 7-12-300 Ban of unlicensed possession of animals for slaughter.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- No number set in the cited code section
- Roosters
- Not addressed in the cited code
- Permit & fee
- Code does not mention a permit
- Setback
- Not verified yet
Code cite: 7-12-300 Ban of unlicensed possession of animals for slaughter.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from 7-12-300 Ban of unlicensed possession of animals for slaughter.
How many hens
“No person shall own, keep or otherwise possess for their own food purposes, or slaughter, any animal; provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to edible byproducts, such as eggs or milk, produced by an animal.”
Keeping hens for eggs is allowed because eggs are exempt, but raising or slaughtering birds for meat at home is banned. Chapter 7-12 sets no number of hens.
7-12-300 Ban of unlicensed possession of animals for slaughter.
Roosters
The cited code section does not mention roosters. Ask the city before you keep one.
Permit and fee
Code does not mention a permit. Ask the city whether a permit is needed before you buy birds.
Setback / screening
Not verified yet.
Chapter 7-12 sets no coop distance.
Also in this section
“Any person found to have been in violation of this section shall be fined not less than $50.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Chicago, IL metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to Illinois via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists Illinois among the states it ships to, with chicks going out Mondays and Wednesdays from February to August and Wednesdays only from August to late October. Order sexed pullets if your city bans roosters or does not address them.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — New Lenox (#2360)
New Lenox — 2161 East Laraway Road, New Lenox, IL 60451. (815) 463-9444. Store page lists livestock feed and farm supplies, including chicken coops, waterers and feeders.
Coop
OverEZ Medium Chicken Coop with Wooden 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 50¼ in L × 52½ in W × 62¼ in H (includes nesting box), sized by OverEZ for up to 10 chickens; Wooden 8 ft run 8 ft W × 8 ft L × 6 ft 3 in H
Price: Coop $1,699.00 (Classic, Farmhouse or Coastal finish); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-22.
The coop footprint is about 4.2 ft × 4.4 ft and the run is 8 ft × 8 ft, so with the coop at the end of the run plan on roughly 8 ft × 12.5 ft. Measure your setback from the cited code before you pick a spot, and check any height limit: the run is 6 ft 3 in tall. OverEZ ships coops and runs by tractor-trailer freight to the end of your driveway; homes on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
No verified poultry vet yet
We have not confirmed a clinic here that says it treats chickens. Call local vets and ask before you need one.
Verified 2026-10-22 against 7-12-300 Ban of unlicensed possession of animals for slaughter. at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2640523. Read the live code before you build or order birds.